The Other Side
by jadefirefly3D
Summary: Stanley makes a huge sacrifice for a complete stranger who's a lot closer to him than he thinks. She cost him his one chance to go home, but the real tragedy was that now she was just as lost and trapped as he was in this horrible place. But she gives him something he hadn't had in a long time: Hope, family and a purpose. Maybe together they'll find a way back home. (NWHS AU)
1. Chapter 1

A/N Hello there! Thanks for clicking on my story! This is another idea that wouldn't leave me alone. Man, "Not What He Seems" has really inspired me. The hiatus, as horrible as it is, helps. This was meant to be a one shot, but since I have a hard time writing those, this is now a three shot.

Enjoy part one!

* * *

 **The Other Side**

He ran hard and fast, desperate to reach his destination in time. Behind him, the sky was ominous as dark grey clouds formed, warning of an oncoming storm, but if he made it in time, he wouldn't have to worry about the storm or anything in this nightmarish dimension ever again. But up ahead it the distance he could see it, a rainbow shining in the darkness like a beacon. The sky around it crystal clear, a shooting star pointing the way, guiding his path to freedom. He didn't belong here, he never did and after thirty years it was time to come home.

He glanced at his watch counting down until the prism of colourful lights converged and the doorway home would be opened. There wasn't much time left so he had to hurry. He couldn't miss this. It very well may be his only chance.

As he neared the dark woods he readied his weapon, a large, long hunting knife with a strong broad serrated blade, and made sure his gun was easily accessible, knowing that danger lurked within these woods, dark and dangerous creatures with a taste for anything human. Pure humans were rare in this world, he was pretty certain that he was the only one since in thirty years he had yet to encounter one. Though many had been human once.

 _Almost there…_ he thought.

The watch on his wrist beeped a couple of times and he looked at it. "Only a minute left…" he murmured, pushing himself forward, the beacon of light getting closer and closer and brighter and brighter as the colours began to slowly merge, swirling into a circle forming a bright white brilliance in the center. The portal, his way home. Soon it would open enough for him to get through.

When he reached it though he hesitated, remembering with clarity the toll it had taken on him when he first went through it. The journey nearly killed him, draining him of all his energy leaving behind a deep ache that rendered him practically immobile for days, something he wasn't looking forward to. _Man up,_ he told himself, _you won't be entering a hellish dimension like this one, you'll be home. It may hurt, but at least I will be safe…_

He could hear voices on the other side, though he couldn't understand what they were saying, nor did he recognize them. The sound was too distorted from the portal but he had a few guesses on who might be on the other side. His best guess was that it was his old colleague who helped him build the portal many years ago, but it could easily have been complete strangers. But no matter who is was, it didn't matter. All that mattered was that soon, very soon he would be home.

Another sound caught his attention, coming from behind him. He turned to spare the sound a glance and watched as a gang of vampires emerged from the shadows, only the brilliant white light keeping them at bay.

"You're too late!" he told them, "So back off!"

One vampire dared to risk the light, hissing in pain as he stepped forward.

"The journey will kill you," he warned the vamp.

"Your realm is a feast," the vampire grunted, fighting the agony and deep burns.

"You cannot go into my world," he snapped, "I will not let you!"

"Try…" he dared.

He glanced at his watch. The timer counting down. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Suddenly there was an explosion of light as the rainbow merged and everything went white, as the door opened and he fought the pain to push his way through. Something slammed into him though, hitting him hard. It nearly knocked him off his feet, the object hard, yet soft. He could hear screaming coming from the other side, the sound of pure fear and desperation.

He pushed forward but he could hear something behind him, the vampires hissing with pleasure and he spared a look and startled when he saw a human child lying motionless on the ground. Some of the vampires fought the pain of the light to reach her before it became too much and they retreated. He glanced back towards the doorway, towards his last chance of freedom. Towards home.

 _Dammit, there's not much time…_ he thought, glancing back at the girl as his conscience nagged at him, telling him he needed to do the right thing, putting him in direct conflict against his need to survive and get home. The Portal wasn't designed to remain open for long. In the shadows the vampires may have retreated, but ravenous, predatory eyes watched her and he knew the moment the door closed and the light went out, she would become their dinner. If she was lucky, her death would be swift, but vampires were known to play with their food. They got off on torture as much as they did on human blood.

He glanced back at the other side longingly and closed his eyes. _Dammit._

In this realm, mercy was for the weak and only the strong could survive. Survival meant only looking out for yourself, and no one else. The girl was an innocent. She wouldn't last long here and yet…there was something familiar about her, something he couldn't quite put his finger on…. The devastated screams from the other side helped him make his decision, as foolish as it was.

 _There's no time…_ he thought, trying to talk himself out of it. After all first rule of survival is that alliances are all dandy and fine, but when danger looms, it's every man for himself. But despite that, some sort of paternal instinct he hadn't felt in many, many years kicked in and he turned around and ran as fast as he could manage, scooping up the unconscious girl in his arms before making a break for it towards the brilliant white light that was his doorway home. _I can make it…almost there…we're almost home…_ But the light was slowly dissipating, returning to a rainbow of lights, the door closing and by the time he reached it, it was too late.

"No, no, no, NOOO!" he lamented in frustration, unable to reach it in time.

The door closed and darkness swallowed their surroundings and the gang of vampires glowed pale and gleeful in the moonlight as they were free to emerge from the shadows, circling them giving him no way out, and with the girl lying unconscious in his arms, he had no way to defend himself.

"Fresh meat…" one of them hissed, "Been so long…"

"So long…"

"Haven't smelled pure human blood in so long…"

"Smells of innocence and youth… so tasty…must drink…"

"Give us the child old man, and we will give you passage…" the leader said, waving a long pale bony finger at him, his nail razor sharp and stained with blood, beckoning him to do as he asked.

He regarded the girl a moment. _It's your fault that I'm still here, child…_ he thought bitterly, as it slowly began to sink in that he missed his one and only chance at going home. The bitter thought made him almost consider it, but then he thought, _Lose the kid, and it would all be in vain._

"Never," he snapped, adjusting his grip on the girl so he had one hand free. He took his knife and brandished it like a sword and made a run for it, taking the head off one vampire and injuring another as he ran through the trees. The vampires gave chase, though they obviously held back, clearly deciding to mess with them, overconfident in their pursuit, playing with their food as vampires like to do. It was next to impossible to outrun a vampire, even without a young burden slowing him down. It was unwise, sacrificing his chance at going home to save the girl, and it was foolish trying to protect her now. Such acts of mercy was a sure way to get killed.

To his surprise though, they suddenly stopped in their tracks, hissing furiously as they reached a point they dared not pass. He glanced around and saw symbols carved into the trees and he sighed in relief. Someone had put up wards to keep the danger out, but still he treaded carefully. Just because there were wards, didn't mean he was on friendly grounds, it didn't mean they were safe.

He looked around carefully, moving until he reached a small shack that looked like it had been abandoned for a long time. In the distance, the storm he thought he would miss drew closer. He carried the girl to the shack and entered. There wasn't much there in the tiny, single roomed shelter, just a small overturned table, a metal cooking pot on the floor, a rusted old knife, an old iron wood burning stove, a wooden chair and a dusty old mattress with a ragged blanket. It wasn't much, but it was something. He gently set the limp girl onto the mattress, and considered his next move.

The dark clouds outside crept closer, soon they would cover the moon and throw everything into complete darkness. As it was he could barely see anything in the first place, the moon's glow shone through the single window but it wasn't enough and it wasn't going to last. Light. He needed light. He pressed his fingers against the girl's neck and sighed with relief when he felt a pulse and he whispered, "I'll be right back kid, it'll be all right."

Watching the little shack closely he gathered wood for a fire and quickly returned. He put the wood in the stove and it didn't take long before he had a fire going. The girl hadn't moved the entire time he was gone, but it was to be expected. That he had survived his own trip through the Portal many years ago was nothing short of a miracle. Some good lived in this realm, and it was lucky that it was goodness that found him instead of the many dark and dangerous creatures that dwelled here. The portal had drained him of so much energy back then, he had been completely defenseless.

 _They aren't very far from here,_ he thought, _when the storm passes, I'll take you to them. They'll take care of you like they took care of me._

In the flickering light of the fire through the open door of the stove he looked her over for injuries. It was mostly cuts and bruises, his main concerns were a bleeding cut on her forehead which might mean a concussion, and her arm rested at an awkward angle. It didn't take long for him to see her shoulder had been dislocated. He gently prodded the area and the girl whimpered softly in pain as he felt where the joint had been displaced from the socket.

"Sorry kid," he soothed, wincing in sympathy, "this is going to hurt…" _Just be glad that she's unconscious…_

He had done this a few times before, even once on himself, but it didn't make it any easier to pop a joint back in place. The sickening sound, the incredible pain… He got himself and the girl in the right position and readied himself for the task, _OK…here goes. One…two…_

Of course that _had_ to be the moment when the girl woke up.

She groaned softly, her head rocking back and forth before her eyes fluttered open, her face scrunched in pain, "Mmmm? Grunkle…? Y' look different…what h-happened?" she murmured in confusion, looking up at him before her voice faded away and she closed her eyes, She whimpered in pain, blinking owlishly up at him, "What's goin' on? Where's Di-…?" she tried to move and cried out suddenly, her voice slurred and weak, "Grunkle St—it hurts!"

"Shh, take it easy kid," he said, "you had a nasty fall…" _More like you were thrown forcibly through a portal to another dimension…_ "You hurt your shoulder pretty badly, but don't worry, I'm going to fix it but it's going to hurt, kid. I'm sorry, I don't have any painkillers."

She looked around fearfully, her eyes wide. She was clearly disoriented which was completely understandable considering her situation, and judging by her uneven pupils, she was indeed mildly concussed, which wouldn't help matters, "Wh-where are w-we?"

"Somewhere safe," he soothed, not sure what to say. His hand brushed against the dislocated joint accidentally and she let out a pathetic cry. "I'm sorry…so sorry kid!" She bit her lip and tears fell down her face, leaving wet trails through the dirt on her cheeks. "Do you trust me?" he asked her.

"Huh?"

"Do you trust me?" he asked again, needing to know that before he tried again to set her shoulder. It was going to hurt and he didn't want the girl to think he was trying to harm her.

She sniffed and then her face went serious and she nodded, "I trust you," she sounded firm, determined, her voice surprisingly strong. Like she had debated this in her head already, like it was one of the most important decisions she had ever had to make in her life.

"OK, this is going to hurt, a _lot_ ," he told her, "but there's nothing I can give you to make the pain any easier to bear and it's important that you don't scream, hear me? Don't scream." _It's dangerous enough having this fire, but I can't alert anything to our presence, if something hears the scream of a human child, something that can breach the wards, we're doomed._

To the girl's credit she looked a little apprehensive at his words, her eyes widening with fear but she nodded, biting her lip and clenching her eyes closed as she braced herself for the worst. He started to get into position again but hesitated.

He took off one of his gloves and folded it up, "Here kid, bite on this. It might seem weird, but it will help."

She gave him a funny look, her eyes focusing with confusion on his hand, and he could tell that she'd immediately noticed something wasn't quite right. She frowned and then opened her mouth, biting down on the soft leather of the glove, "Ugh, tastes funny…" she said with a muffled voice laced with pain, a small grin on her face. She laughed nervously and then nodded, letting him know she was ready.

 _Don't know how you can be laughing at a time like this but…OK._ He shrugged and gently got back into position, "OK kid, this is what's going to happen. I'm going to count to three and then I'm going to pop your shoulder back in place. It's going to hurt but it has to be done. The longer we wait the worse it will get, got it?" She nodded that she understood, "OK, on three. One…two…" He never did get to three, instead gritting his teeth and doing the deed on two, a harsh and cruel trick, but it proved in the past to be effective. Sometimes it's easier when the pain is unexpected.

The girl bit down hard on the glove, a muffled cry escaping her as her eyes rolled back and her body tensed, her back arching off the mattress before she went completely still. At first he thought the pain knocked her out, but then she spat out the glove and breathlessly she began to sob.

He didn't know how to deal with kids, especially a crying kid. It had been too long since encountering another human, let alone a child so he didn't know what to do next. But he knew all too well the kind of agony she had just experienced and the lingering pain that remained, so he offered the only truth he could to comfort her. "It's OK, the worst is over. It's over. You're OK now, kid," he said, removing his scarf to make a sling for her arm, "be good as new in no time."

She weakly held up her good arm, reaching for him and it took him longer than it should for him to realize that she wanted to sit up. He pulled her up into a sitting position and she wrapped her good arm around him, sobbing into his shoulder. Hesitantly he wrapped his arms around the girl, patting her gently on the back and then for the first time in ages he smiled when she clutched him tightly, her forehead pressing against his cheek.

It had been so long since he had real human interaction or contact, and the girl hugged him tightly, pure innocence and love radiating from her. He knew it was because she had mistaken him for someone else, someone she clearly cared about, but it didn't matter at that moment. He hadn't had that feeling in a long time. The feeling of being needed and loved. It was nice.

"I'm sorry there's not much I can do to ease your pain, not right now," he told the girl apologetically, wishing there was more he could do. She had cost him his one chance to go home, and his heart ached with regret and longing for what was lost and what could have been, and yet he couldn't blame the girl. He held her gently, rubbing circles in her back as she cried herself to sleep in his arms, disoriented and suffering.

He was saddened by his fate. The hope that one day someone would fix the portal and that he would somehow go home was the only thing that kept him going all these years. And now, it was over. He sacrificed his _one_ chance for this girl. And yet, the real tragedy wasn't just that he missed his only chance, but that this young girl was now just as lost and trapped as he was.

 _This is no place for a child._

A flash of light and a rumble of thunder outside signaled that the storm was finally here. As the rain began to hammer down on the little shack he sighed, lying the injured and sleeping girl back down on the dingy mattress, _I'm sorry I failed to save us both, kid,_ he thought sadly, wondering what he was going to do now.

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A/N I know for a fact that I wasn't the only one who thought for even just a split second that Mabel was going to get sucked in the portal during the climax of the "Not What He Seems". I'm glad they didn't go that route, but it would've been an incredible cliffie. Well, the cliffhanger we got was epic enough, but still that moment of 'what if' certainly got the plot bunnies going. I know there are a few "what if Mabel got sucked into the Portal?" stories out there already, but I hope that this is a unique spin on that kind of story. Even if it's not, I hope you enjoyed anyway.

Well guys, thanks so much for reading! Please let me know what you think! Good or bad. I LOVE any kind of feedback you have to offer.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Oh man, you guys are awesome. Thanks so much for the comments! They all really make my day!

pokemonfan67: I'm glad you like this! I can't wait for the next episode either!

Extreme Light 9: Well, if you ever get around to writing your version of the idea, let me know! Thanks for the review, I'm happy that you're enjoying this so far!

RockSunner: Thanks as always for the comments! :-)

TMNTGFKittySidekick01: Aw thanks, I'm really happy that you like my stories!

Turquisea: Yeah, I guess he does kinda have that mama bear vibe and even more so in this chapter. :-) Well, don't keep endlessly wondering, I hope you like the next chapter as much as the first! Thanks so much for the review!

DarkRose: Thanks! I'm glad you like it!

shootingstar34: Hey you! Thanks so much for following my stories! Unfortunately I won't be showing Dipper's POV this time around, at least not here. Possibly in the future though as its own short story but I'm not sure yet, who knows?

gravityfalls22: Yeah, I figure it would be an easy mistake for Mabel to make considering she's a little out of it, didn't even know Stanley existed and the fact the two Stan's are twins and all :-) There's so much in this world that exists in my head that will probably never see the light of day, heck most of my stories have tons of details/backstories etc left out that exist solely in my head that I might only get to hint on in the final product which is one of the reasons I have a hard time writing short stories and one shots. One of those little details about this AU is that there was more than one watch (and a laptop) synced up to the Portal. When the Portal was reactivated, so was Stanley's watch, so he knew that he had X amount of time to return to the same spot he landed when he went though the Portal 30 years ago. The vampires have nothing to do with the Wraiths from my other NWHS stories, but I think it's awesome that you like them so much! I have more to say but I'll save that for later. I'm not much of a conversation starter either, but that's OK. Glad Stanley's sacrifice and desperation felt authentic here, that was something that was really important to me when writing this.

Guest: Thanks so much for the huge compliment! Makes me happy to know you're following my stories and that you like them enough to comment! Reviews are like gold to me, so it really means a lot! And yeah, Mabel's pretty tough and could certainly hold her own in a fight (if she weren't injured and all of course...) One of the many things I love about Mabel.

Well, since you guys are so awesome, here, have another chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

The storm raged through the night, and a few times he feared that the fierce winds would knock the little abandoned shack over. He took out his canteen at one point, when the wind had died down a bit and the rain was hammering down in a torrential downpour and went outside to catch the rain to replenish his water supply. When he went back inside he was cold and wet so he removed his coat, hanging it up to dry before he positioned the chair near the fire and sat down, his gun draped over his lap. He spared the girl a glance and heaved a sigh. _What to do with you kid?_ He stifled a yawn, forcing himself to stay awake and leaned back in the chair, facing the door keeping watch for any potential danger.

The sound of the storm outside lulled him into a sort of twilight sleep. His body and mind at rest, and yet still on the alert for any possible threats. To survive, he always had to sleep with one eye open and had quickly taught himself this method of rest a long time ago, as a deep sleep could easily spell doom. A full night of rest was a precious rarity in this world. Too many dangers, too many predators, _especially_ for a human.

But the race to reach the Portal in time had exhausted him, and it was so much more difficult to fight his body and mind's need to fall into a deep, deep slumber. However, with another person's life depending on him, and the dangers that lurked just beyond the wards, he managed to resist the urge to just crash. _Will I ever be allowed such luxury?_ he lamented as he lightly rested.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed when the girl groaned in her sleep, the sound pulling him back into awareness and he opened his eyes to check on her. Her head was rocking back and forth as she became rather restless, mumbling something inaudible as tears fell from her closed eyes. When her movements jarred her shoulder she released a pathetic whimper, her eyes fluttering open as she gasped awake which had him instantly on alert.

"Kid? You with me?" he asked, as he jumped from his chair to kneel down beside her.

She looked around perplexed, too weak to lift her head. "Grunkle St—I don' feel s' good…" she slurred, feebly clutching her stomach with her good arm. She lurched, gagging a couple of times and thinking fast he retrieved the rusted pot that had been abandoned with the shack, snaking his arm under her back to help her sit up. She threw up into the pot, though it didn't look like she had much to throw up in the first place. He combed her hair back out of her face with his fingers, frowning when he realized that her cheeks were hot to the touch. She was burning up.

She moaned, her eyes blinking closed and he moved the pot aside and grabbed his canteen, "Kid, you need to drink," he told her, bringing the spout to her lips. She wasn't fully aware when she took a sip, gagging from the taste at first, but soon she gulped down the rainwater, so much that he had to pull away, "Slowly kid, you don't want to make yourself sick again." Despite being barely conscious, concussed and disoriented from fever and from being in a completely new dimension she nodded and did as she was told.

When she seemed to have had enough he eased her back down and she was out before her head hit the mattress. He took off his flannel shirt and folded it up, tucking it under the girl's head like a pillow, wondering why he didn't think of that in the first place. She sighed in response, a grateful smile crossing her young face.

His overcoat was still wet but he put it back on and headed back outside to empty the contents of the rusted pot and to refill his canteen. The rain was a small blessing, providing him with much needed water but he made a mental note that he would need to find food and a water source first thing in the morning. Something told him the girl would be in no condition to travel for at least another day, something that made him apprehensive. Sure, there were protection wards keeping the vampires and other creatures at bay, but it didn't mean they were safe here. Perhaps he was just being paranoid, but it was paranoia that had kept him alive all these years.

When he went back inside he shivered and hung his coat back up, settling back down on the chair that he now had positioned next to the sleeping girl. He rested the back of his hand on her forehead and frowned at the heat. Travelling through the portal thirty years ago had taken a lot out of him, and it was clear that it was no different for this girl. It must've done a number on her immune system, and in this strange new world for her, the fever wasn't much of a surprise, though it was a problem he didn't know how to deal with. Not with his extremely limited resources.

"You just have to hold on, kid," he sighed, "Soon as I can, I'll take you somewhere safe. The people who took care of me, they'll take good care of you."

 _I hope,_ he thought.

It would be a lot to ask of the ones who took him in many years ago, and the idea of leaving her with them, while it was the best option he could think of for now, it made him nervous. This world was no place for a little girl, and there were few places he could consider safe. Indeed _nowhere_ was truly safe here, but the small village that took him in could provide her with food and shelter and there was a healer amongst them who could properly tend to her injuries. It was the closest thing to _safe_ in these parts, but the villagers weren't human like they were, and in a few nights there would be a full moon which would mean danger.

He sighed, closing his eyes briefly, _You're more trouble than you're worth, kid. What am I going to do with you?_ She couldn't stay with his saviours, not for long anyway, but he couldn't keep her either. The nomadic lifestyle he adopted out of necessity was no life for a child. Besides he didn't know how to take care of another person. Heck, some days he could barely take care of himself. Not only that but she would hold him back, slow him down, get them killed. _Suppose I could just leave you here,_ he thought briefly, _you cost me everything and I don't even know your name so why should I concern myself so much over your well-being?_

He ran his hand down his face with indecision, pinching the bridge of his nose and looked at her. She looked so vulnerable and innocent and he couldn't bear the thought of abandoning her to fend for herself in this dark, cruel world. Besides, something about her reminded him of his son who was about her age when he last saw him. He was never really there for his son, and now he never would be, even though he knew that his son was now all grown up, probably with kids of his own.

 _I suppose this is my chance to make up for being a paranoid deadbeat,_ he mused sadly. _Maybe that's why I went soft for a minute there and decided to risk my freedom to save you. Stupid move on my part, but…I don't know…I think I would regret it for the rest of my life if I condemned you to die in this hellish place._

The girl whimpered and moaned in her sleep, and he frowned with concern when she began to writhe from pain and fever. She cried out faintly, her eyes fluttering open slightly as she curled on her side, grasping her arm just below her injured shoulder. She squeezed her eyes shut, now rolling onto her back, her body tense as her head twitched and she mumbled something he couldn't quite understand. She wasn't quite unconscious, but she was too out of it to be considered awake. She released a guttural cry, her back arching off the bed as she clutched her injured arm tightly, clearly in the throes of an intense wave of pain.

"Hey, hey kid, shhh…" he exclaimed, leaning forward and gently combing his fingers through her hair at her temples, something he used to do with his son the rare times he saw him when he was small and asleep, "take it easy, you're going to be OK…" _I don't know how, but I'm going to take care of you, OK?_

She eventually seemed to relax slightly at his touch, but judging by how hot her forehead felt, her temperature had gone up. _I can't take the pain away, but hopefully I can do something about that fever._

He took his bandana out of his coat pocket and held it out in the rain until it was cool and damp and sat on the mattress beside her as he gently wiped the sweat, dirt and blood from her face. _Should've thought of this_ sooner…he thought, adding that oversight to the list of reasons why he was ill equipped to take care of a kid. She sighed with relief, subconsciously turning her head towards the cool touch, relaxing when he finally rested the bandana on her burning forehead. She stirred slightly, and despite the obvious pain and discomfort, she smiled as she sought out his hand. Noticing this, he took her small hand in his and she whispered, "Thanks."

"Rest now, kid," he told her softly.

"G'night Gr'nklsta…" she mumbled faintly, snuggling closer to him, her voice fading into oblivion as she drifted off again.

He smiled and combed her hair gently off her face with a sort of affection he hadn't felt in decades and it warmed his heart even as it sent him deep into a state of melancholy. It made him think about his son, who probably resented him for leaving, and his estranged brother whom he had been so angry with back then. He regretted never making amends before he disappeared through the portal. They were the two most important people in the world to him and neither of them had any idea of what happened. He wouldn't have been surprised if they assumed him dead. It was probably better that way, especially now that he knew there was no chance to ever see them again thanks to the girl.

 _But it's not your fault kid, I have to stop thinking that way,_ he sighed with pity. _You poor kid, you have no idea what happened to you, do you? Here you are, in such agony, thinking I'm someone else, thinking you're safe, completely unaware of the fact that you can never go home again…_

The worse part was, she was just a child, a _human_ child, innocent and pure, and that was a highly coveted delicacy for many creatures here. What she possessed was so incredibly rare, a precious gift. But it was also going to be her curse. Her purity, innocence and youth put a target on her back the moment she arrived in this place.

It was in that moment when he realized that her presence was indeed a rare and valuable gift. Her arrival may have kept him from the one thing he desired, but she had inadvertently given him something he hadn't had in a long time. A reason to live. For so long all he had ever known, all he lived for was survival and finding a way back home. But now, home was just an empty dream, for both of them, and without him, she would die. The mere thought of it ignited his long dormant paternal instincts which in turn left such a profound feeling in his lost soul. Just by being there she had given his life new meaning; she gave him a new purpose.

 _Don't worry, kid. I'll protect you. Can't let my sacrifice be in vain, right? I have no idea what I'm going to do, but...we'll figure something out...Just gotta hold on, OK?_

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A/N Thanks for reading! As always, I would absolutely LOVE it if you could leave a review! Any kind of feedback makes my day!


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